


gave me no signs

by lux_et_astra



Series: invisible string [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26033692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lux_et_astra/pseuds/lux_et_astra
Summary: Rose has the Doctor’s name on her stomach.
Relationships: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: invisible string [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889722
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	gave me no signs

Rose has the Doctor’s name on her stomach. He ought to have been thrilled — he loves her, so much, and of course, her name is written across his collarbone — but it’s not right. He knows it’s not right.

He tries to ignore it. He loves her. And she loves him. And they’re genuinely, perfectly happy together. When they kiss it’s like fireworks. But it’s not like the universe is slotting into place. It’s never felt like the universe is slotting into place.

And that doesn’t matter to him. Not at all. He’s loved hundreds of people through the years, and very few of them have been his soulmates, but it hasn’t made him love them even less. The only problem with it is his own damning curiosity.

He has had soulmates through the years. And every single person who’s had his name on their skin has had it in Gallifreyan. Human, Time Lord, anything in between — he’s seen his name in the familiar circular script on white skin, dark skin, blue skin, bright crimson skin, everything. But he has never in his life seen the two words written across someone’s body— “The Doctor”.

He can’t imagine how Rose has felt growing up. The Doctor isn’t exactly a human name, and he can just picture her hope and disappointment, going through her life with those words on her skin. And now she’s met him, and she thinks it’s fate, but it’s not right. It’s never been right.

And then it happens. Donna causes the metacrisis, and he is formed. The Doctor lite, he thinks in a moment of cruel jealousy. The human Doctor. Of course. Human Doctor — English soulmark. It makes perfect sense.

So he knows, the entire time they’re fighting the Daleks, that he’s who she belongs with. So they’re there on the beach and she’s clinging to him, and he hates himself for how easily he lets her go. He grabs his clone, pulls his shirt, and exposes the word Rose written huge across his chest. There are no other words on his body, he knows instinctively. She’s the only one for him.

It’s stupid to be jealous of yourself; isn’t it? But he can’t help but hate him a little. Why does he get the perfect life? The normal, regular, not-forever life with the woman he was born to be with? It’s not like he’s never doubted the lifestyle he’s chosen ever before. But, glancing at the couple of circular soulmarks on his own body — the Master; the Corsair — he wonders what his life would have been like if he had stayed.

Boring, he tells himself, stepping into his loyal TARDIS. Despite himself, he glances behind, at where Rose and him are still holding each other. He closes the door. He chose this life a long time ago. It’s too late for anything else. And besides; he likes this life. 

He flies off to the next adventure, and pretends it fills the craters his life and loves have left in his hearts.


End file.
